Do you know what it feels like to…be blessed by Enrique Iglesias? Apparently Atlantico Rum does. We recently stumbled across this Latin Cinderella story that we had to share. In this real life fairytale Enrique Iglesias just so happens to play the Prince Charming who helps Atlantico Rum rise to the top.
Back in 2009 old friends Aleco Azqueta and Brandon Lieb decided to become entrepreneurs, founding their very own brand of premium rum. After working in marketing for Bacardi, the two knew that launching Atlantico craft rum was a brilliant move, considering that the craft beer market was booming and a demand for craft spirits was next up on the horizon. However, the two admit that in the beginning it was difficult to get the ball rolling with a recession looming over the nation.
In 2012 everything changed for Atlantico, they hit the jackpot after sending a small gift to a huge celebrity. Founder Azqueta had caught wind that Enrique Inglesias, the King of Latin Pop, had a soft spot for premium rum and thought to send over a bottle of Atlantico Private Cask Rum for the star to try. A fews weeks later the Atlantico team was amazed to find that, Iglesias was toasting the crowd with a bottle of their rum in the middle of his concert at Madison Square Garden. Talk about one big break!
The founders were smart enough to make sure this wasn’t just their 15 minutes of fame, and saw the potential in a partnership with Inglesias, who genuinely took a liking to the brand. Four years later Inglesias is now a full partner in the company and has made the brand famous by featuring the rum in music videos and on stage during his live shows. A partnership with Inglisas enabled the brand to grow 40%, in just one year, going to show that with a quality product, a streak of luck and a few smart moves you can make it big in this industry. Learn more about the Atlantico success story in this recent piece from the Miami Herald!